Profile + javascript:
Having a profile option but with javascript collapsable layout, so if you set it to show subforums they will all be expanded otherwise they would all be collapsed.

Profile + server-side:
Same as Profile + javascript, but using server-side code.

Profile + links:
Setting the profile to show subforums would show them expanded, otherwise it should only show links to the subforums.

Some other combination/option (please explain):
If you've got a better solution please explain it, preferably with links to either a site that uses that layout or a screenshot._________________Search | Read | Answer | Report | Strip

Javascript is cool UNLESS the forums are browsed in lynx/links - when doing manual installation using console. By default such browsers have no Javascript support compiled in (!). This is especially unfair for all arches except x86, when their respective LiveCD doesn't boot into a GNOME session (yet)...

So, profile + links could be an option, or profile + server-side (the least common denominator). Maybe the last one could be some kind of a fallback if the server detects that the browser in questions doesn't support Javascript? ASP.NET does this for a long time (and I know that this particular example is not "kosher" enough... ).

How about a profile switch that is expanded/collapsed and then use the java to expanad/collapse the subforms? Basically, just select the original setting in the profile. Or for that matter make it all selectable, expand/collapse, links, indented, etc. within the profile. Just a thought. And I'm a n00b again, I resigned my Arch Tester status. _________________RiverRat

we have a very active community around Gentoo and the forums are the cornerstone of this success.
However how does it work in other popular linux distribution ? Maybe we should look around at other linux forums (ubuntu of course, fedora, etc) to see if we can inspire to get more efficient forum.

I think that profile + server-side would be great (but I am pretty happy with the current layout, I would prefer seeing an improvement on the search engine)

I am aiming to reduce our top-ten-busiest phpBB server's work. Using JS, hopefully the (phpBB) server only need to generate 1 version of the document, and don't do too much processing until the next posting.

I have another agenda voting for this option.

Let's think about how subforums are being used today.

It appears that people (forum admins?) use subforums mainly to contain translations/adaptations of English content to another language. We can safely assume that the ordinary Polish forum user Sergey doesn't visit the Italian forum very often. Then Sergey's profile should probably let him define "extra _language=PL". That way, when Sergey user logs in, he sees both the English content, and the Polish subforums expanded by JS, while other languages will be collapsed.

Implementing this "extra_language" should be feasible after we got the original "profile + JS" in place.

I think there might be two problems with your suggestion:
1. Some users partiicipate in more than one national forum. They might prefer that extra_language be defined as a list, instead of a string. That way, all the forums present in that list would be expanded by default and the others collapsed.
2. This poll has been started with tomk stating that

tomk wrote:

We've successfully tested the funtionality of the subforums, but before we add any support subforums we want to find out which layout would suit people best.

So we hope to have some sub-forums within support forums such as Installing Gentoo soon.
However, your idea for having national forums expanded or collapsed according to a user variable is interesting. Let's see if the admins think it's feasible._________________Jorge.

I think indentiing the subforums is the most viable option. as it's a great visual cue and - if implemented properly - works both in graphical browsers like Firefox as well as text-based browsers like Lynx.

Indenting is very easy on the eyes, but also keeps the sub-forums within easy distance of the mainpage without reloading. If you must get rid of them though the profile option and perhaps the javascripts button option seem to be the two best ways._________________My Linux Blog

This way they can each maintain their own structure and stay within their own search space. I personally don't like getting results of a search for a common term in 7 different languages. I don't see much value in keeping them all in one massive forum.

This way they can each maintain their own structure and stay within their own search space. I personally don't like getting results of a search for a common term in 7 different languages. I don't see much value in keeping them all in one massive forum.

This way they can each maintain their own structure and stay within their own search space. I personally don't like getting results of a search for a common term in 7 different languages. I don't see much value in keeping them all in one massive forum.

For minoritary languages like Finnish or Greek, that is not viable.

Why?

They wouldn't have 100 different forums like English does, but they could have one and scale as need be.

... stay within their own search space. I personally don't like getting results of a search for a common term in 7 different languages. I don't see much value in keeping them all in one massive forum.

The international forums are not included in a standard "All available" search. You have to select them explicitly._________________Please read our FAQ Forum, it answers many of your questions.
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